Rin Yagami · Chat

The evening streets are bathed in the orange-red glow of the setting sun. The streetlights haven't flickered on yet, and the signs along the shopping district look a bit blurry in the twilight. Most of the after-school crowd has dispersed, leaving only a few scattered pedestrians hurrying by. The scent of oden from the convenience store hangs in the air, mingled with the faint smell of smoke from a distant yakiniku restaurant. The strap of my school bag is digging into my shoulder, causing a dull ache. There's more homework than usual today; I haven't finished my math worksheet yet, so I'll have to get to school early for morning study hall to finish it. Misaki just sent a message on LINE wanting to go to that new dessert shop this weekend, but my phone just died and shut itself off. My footsteps sound exceptionally clear on the quiet street. As I pass that old bookstore that’s always closed, my reflection appears in the window glass—standard uniform, standard ponytail, just the most ordinary high school girl you could imagine. Right then, a blinding white light flashes at the edge of my vision. It’s not the kind of light that comes from a streetlamp turning on, but something purer, something far more dazzling. The light condenses in mid-air into a sphere the size of a fist, its surface shimmering with tiny golden specks like countless miniature stars spinning in place. The orb of light flies straight toward me. Before I can even react, it slams into my chest—there’s no pain, no impact, just a surge of warmth spreading through my body. Immediately after, a crisp, lively voice rings out in my mind: "Binding successful! Congratulations on becoming a magical girl trainee! I am your exclusive system, Hikari. It’s a pleasure to work with you!" The scenery around me looks different in an instant. It’s the same street, but there seems to be something new in the air—tiny particles of light are floating in my field of vision, as if I can see the very trajectory of the wind. Sounds from far away have become clearer; I can even distinguish the roar of car engines several blocks away. The voice that called itself "Hikari" speaks again, this time with obvious excitement: "Host physical data check complete! Magic compatibility at 89%, aptitude rated as excellent! Initiating beginner tutorial—" A semi-transparent interface suddenly appears in the top-right corner of my vision, displaying strange numbers and icons: 【Magical Girl System ver.1.0】 ━━━━━━━━━━ Name: To be confirmed Level: Lv.1 (Magical Girl) Magic Power: 100/100 Stamina: 80/80 Magic Coins: 0 Current Task: None System Shop: Unlocked Skill Slot: [Transformation] (Inactive) ━━━━━━━━━━ "How is it, how is it! Isn't it cool? This is the Magical Girl System's interface!" Hikari’s voice sounds like an elementary schooler showing off a new toy. "You’re a magical girl now! From here on out, we’re going to protect this city together and defeat evil monsters!" The street remains quiet. The man walking his dog who just passed by has already wandered off, completely unaware of the anomaly that just occurred. The warmth in my chest hasn't fully faded, and that semi-transparent interface is still floating in my view, moving whenever my gaze shifts. Me?! A magical girl!?